Even the studio was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Yin Jiayi stretched out her arm to reach the ball.
The ball bounced off her racket, rolled a few times, and landed in front of the net, like a slow-motion replay in a movie.
Kim Nam-ji was stunned for several seconds until the scoreboard lit up.
The referee's voice echoed throughout the stadium.
"29:30, South Korea, Kim Nam-ji wins."
The audience then seemed to wake up from their daze and burst into cheers. Some of the more excited South Korean fans even hugged each other, laughing and crying at the same time.
After confirming her results, Kim Nam-ji felt completely exhausted and collapsed to her knees. She had wanted to laugh, but instead, she started crying, head down, sobbing, tears streaming down her face.
She did it.
She actually defeated Yin Jiayi, the world's second-ranked Yin Jiayi, the Yin Jiayi she admired and longed for.
Finally, I didn't let my year of hard work go to waste and I stood at the same level as her.
Watching the footage from the live broadcast, the commentator was also somewhat moved.
"It's an honor that we've witnessed history again today. First, Xie Shi'an made it to the finals with a five-game winning streak, and then Kim Nam-ji, the youngest player in this World Championships, set a new record for the longest consecutive shot in women's singles badminton. The word 'youth' should be opposed to mediocrity [1]. Let's look forward to seeing them at the top in the finals!"
A pair of sweaty hands reached out to me.
Kim Nam-ji looked up with teary eyes.
Yin Jiayi's brows relaxed, and she smiled at her.
"Why are you crying even after winning the game?"
Kim Nam-ji cried even harder.
***
Shocking! China's rising badminton star Xie Shi'an swept through five opponents to advance to the finals, while title favorite Yin Jiayi suffered a surprising defeat and missed out on the gold medal.
Yan Xinyuan frowned slightly, opened the news headline, and was about to browse it when a phone call came in. It was Director Chen from the Cancer Hospital.
He stared at the number, his thumb hesitating for a long time between answering and not answering, until the ringing was almost over before finally pressing the answer button.
Director Chen's voice sounded somewhat anxious.
"Hello? Where are you? The pathology results are in, and they're not good. Come back to the hospital right away!"
"Director Chen, what exactly is the result? Please don't hide it from me."
The other party paused for a moment before speaking.
"It's... late-stage lung cancer."
He had a premonition, but when he actually heard the words "late stage lung cancer," all his strength seemed to be drained away in an instant, his mind went blank, and he slumped in the chair for a full half minute.
After a long silence, Director Chen also sighed.
"The earlier cancer is detected and treated, the better the prognosis. You should come back as soon as possible to complete the hospitalization procedures."
Yan Xinyuan then came to his senses, took off his glasses, wiped the corner of his eye with the base of his thumb, and said, "Okay, thank you for your trouble, Director Chen."
Shortly after that call ended, Xie Shi'an called again.
"Coach Yan."
"Eh."
Did you watch today's game?
"I watched it. Shi'an played very well. He was neither arrogant nor impatient. He not only learned everything I taught him, but he was also able to integrate and apply it."
The boy slightly raised the corners of his lips.
"I just left the stadium and the first thing I wanted to do was call you to share the good news."
Jian Changnian tiptoed and whispered in her ear.
"Coach Yan, are you at the hotel? We'd like to come over for a meal."
"I'm here. Let's grab a bite to eat. I'm planning to go back tomorrow anyway."
Yan Xinyuan coughed twice, and his voice sounded exhausted from the moment he arrived.
"Coach Yan, are you feeling unwell?"
"Oh, no, I was just packing my things, so I'm a little tired."
Jian Changnian snatched the phone away.
"What?! Coach Yan, you're leaving tomorrow? Aren't you going to stay and watch the finals? Shi An said that if we win the championship, he'll give the trophy to... um!"
Before she could finish speaking, someone covered her mouth.
Xie Shi'an restrained her with one hand and snatched the phone away with the other.
"Coach Yan, don't listen to her nonsense. If you need anything, please..."
Yan Xinyuan leaned back in his chair, a smile slowly spreading across his face.
"Shi'an, this is your first time reaching the World Championships finals. Would you really like me to be there?"
Xie Shi'an hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.
"Yes, I always feel much more at ease when you're there to watch over me."
"Alright, then as the master, I have to go and support my beloved disciple!"
Chapter 77 Illness
After finishing the competition, Yin Jiayi, exhausted, joined the rest of the team to head back to her apartment.
After the match, Kim Nam-ji kept trying to talk to her, but there were just too many people around. He finally managed to turn down interviews from various media outlets, shake off his teammates, and chase after her out of the parking lot, but by then the Chinese team's bus had already driven away.
She bit her lip, then took out her phone and typed it out word by word:
"Yin Jiayi".
Yin Jiayi's phone, which was in her bag, rang. She took it out and saw that Jin Nanzhi had sent her several more messages.
"Thank you, I'm very satisfied with today's game."
"Also, will you be at the final tomorrow?"
"You promised me that you would come to watch my matches whenever you had time. After tomorrow's match, there's something I want to tell you."
Yin Jiayi placed her fingers on the keyboard, hesitated, typed a few words, and then deleted them.
The car slowly came to a stop, and the teammates jumped out one after another.
Yin Jiayi had no choice but to follow.
"You've all worked hard today. Everyone else, go back and rest. Jiayi, come with me for a moment," Wan Jing said.
The teammates scattered like birds and beasts.
Yin Jiayi lifted her foot to follow him.
"Teacher Wan."
Wan Jing led the person to the office.
"sit."
He poured her a glass of water, then turned around and pulled a contract from the filing cabinet behind him, placing it in front of her.
"This is……"
"I took the business endorsement contract with Ning Sheng Group, and the advertisement is being filmed in Changsha. I took the liberty of accepting it for you first. You should go there tomorrow, just to relax."
Yin Jiayi looked slightly taken aback.
"But we have a team competition next week, right? Is there enough time? I still have to..."
Wan Jing looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Do you think you can still compete in your current condition?"
Yin Jiayi licked her lips, eager to refute.
"Although I lost today, but..."
Wan Jing interrupted her again.
"The audience can't tell, my teammates can't tell, but do you really think I'm blind?"
Although they are fellow disciples, Wan Jing is more ruthless than Yan Xinyuan, which is why he has been able to stay in his position for longer.
“I used to turn a blind eye to your frequent trips to the Beijing team, but now, this isn’t some national tournament, it’s the World Championships held every two years! One of the highest-level badminton competitions, and with your skill level, you shouldn’t have performed like this!”
"Teacher Wan, I'm sorry, I..." Yin Jiayi knew she was in the wrong, so she apologized first but still tried to explain.
Wan Jing mercilessly exposed the truth she was so eager to conceal.
"Is your performance on the court today the entirety of your ability? Did you show no mercy when you hit Kim Nam-ji? Can you honestly say you didn't have any personal feelings for her?"
"I..." Yin Jiayi opened her mouth, her face flushed red. When she met his scrutinizing gaze, she faced him for a long time before finally looking away and dejectedly lowering her head, which could be regarded as an admission of the fact.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Wan, I've let you down." Her lips trembled as she apologized again.
Wan Jing looked at her and sighed deeply. He knew that this was something she couldn't control. Seeing her current dejected state, he felt a pang of heartache, but also a deep sense of regret.
"I should never have agreed to let you go to the Beijing team!" He paced back and forth in the room in frustration, then suddenly stopped, pointed at her, and said, "No, I should never have taken you to South Korea for training camp, what was the point of playing friendly matches!"
They won the match, but lost Yin Jiayi in the process. What kind of situation is this?
His heart was burning with anxiety, as if he were being fried in oil. If it were anyone else, it wouldn't matter what their status was or whether they were in the industry. Anyway, Yin Jiayi was of marriageable age and it was time to think about her life's important matter.
But it just so happens to be Kim Nam-ji from the South Korean team!
Putting aside the fact that we're on opposite sides, just considering gender...
He had never seen anything so strange in his entire life!
Seeing his face turn pale and then red, Yin Jiayi was afraid that she would upset him and cause him any harm, so she quickly got up and helped him sit down.